THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Brazilian Army have strengthened cross-border security through a series of joint mirrored patrols in the Takutu and Ireng Sectors, reinforcing the close co-operation between the two forces.
On Thursday, November 13, 2025, command teams from both militaries convened to plan co-ordinated operations.
The resulting joint patrols involved air, mobile, and motorised units operating in Bonfim and Normandia in Brazil, as well as Kanapang and Chiung in Guyana’s Upper Takutu-Essequibo region.
During the operations, patrols targeted areas flagged by intelligence for suspected cross-border and environmental illicit activities.
In the Ireng Sector, the GDF collaborated with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission in an operation against illegal mining, conducted simultaneously with a parallel Brazilian Army effort.
Equipment used in illicit mining was seized, disabled, and destroyed, earning strong support from local communities.
The exercises also included high-level professional exchanges. The Commander of Brazil’s 2nd Jungle Infantry Company visited GDF facilities in Lethem, while Lieutenant Philipe Delmiro, Commander of the Takutu River Base, was hosted at the 1st Special Border Platoon in Bonfim.
Both visits featured interactions across ranks and the customary exchange of tokens. Follow-up visits involved Captain Lawrence King, Staff Officer Three Operations of the 3rd Infantry Battalion, and Sergeant Delbert Joseph, Second in Command of the GDF Border Detachment in Lethem, to the Bonfim post.
The joint activities underscore the GDF and Brazilian Army’s ongoing commitment to deepening bilateral co-operation, enhancing border security, and protecting the wellbeing of communities along the Takutu and Ireng frontiers.